The Other Boy who Lived
by Potassium Flouride
Summary: AU-set after the Battle of Hogwarts. What if Neville Longbottom was the Boy-who-Lived? Well, read and find out!


KAT presenting- "The Other Boy who Lived"

Thanks for taking the time to read my first story back from hiatus. This is an entry for HPFC's What if? Competition. Please enjoy!

Summary: AU, What if Neville Longbottom was the Boy-Who-Lived? Well, read and find out!

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Looking back on it, Harry wished he never learned what the prophecy said. It might be survivor's guilt but if Harry was the boy-who-lived then maybe just maybe things would have gone a bit different. It was true that Neville had gotten better over the years but Harry remembers the Neville who forgot the steps to a potion and the Neville who would lose his toad on a weekly basis. If it had been Harry that Voldemort chose then Neville would still be alive and maybe Ginny and Ron and Hermoine and everyone else who lost their lives that day would still be alive. After the Battle at Hogwarts, Harry was forced to flee leaving behind everyone he loved most in the world. A crash drew Harry out of his thoughts. A broken bottle of wine lay two feet from a disheveled red headed woman. Her crinkled dress was wet and her hands were flailing around spattering small droplets of blood on herself and the man seated next to her. The door opened and a haggard looking Fred came running in.

"Lily! No!" Fred took her arms to examine the damage, "I'll go clean her up."

Fred gently led her to the bathroom as Harry picked up a handkerchief and walked over to the man. The man was in a similar state as Lily. In his seat, he rocked back and forth muttering to himself.

"Let me get that, Dad." Harry said as he wiped Lily's blood off of him. He sighed and guided James to the bed. Fred came back into the room.

"We have to be more careful. That could've been bad. If her injuries were more severe, I would've had to use magic." Fred said as he tiredly fell onto a seat.

Ever since Voldemort victory, Death Eaters were tracking Harry and Fred's every move. They couldn't stay in one place for too long and if they used magic, a death eater was sure to turn up within a few minutes.

"I say we try Bulgaria next. I heard a rumor that George and Hagrid were holed up there." Fred said.

Harry closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Harry knew they weren't there. He knew that this endless search for other survivors was futile. Voldemort and his death eaters caught and killed everyone and Harry and Fred were the last ones left.

"No." Harry responded, "We need to get as far away from Voldemort as we can. I don't think he's gotten to Brazil yet."

"What we need to do is go back! That's my family!"

"That's my family too! You think I don't want to go back?"

"This is your family!" Fred said pointing to the wide eyed James, "You know they're safe and alive. That's more of a luxury than I have."

"Yeah, if you can call this living."

Why did things have to be this way, Harry thought. Why couldn't it have just been Harry that was the chosen one? He was the one who helped Neville defeat Voldemort in the past. In their first year it was Harry that held Quirrel off long enough for Neville to secure the Philosopher's stone. It was Harry that had sent Fawkes to Neville in the Chamber of Secrets and it was Harry that helped Neville in the ministry that night at the sacrifice of Sirius. Harry knew it must have been difficult for Neville growing up- having to live up to everyone's expectations and he knew that there was potential for Neville to be great. Harry really did start believing that Neville was 'the chosen one' but at the end of the day, he was still the forgetful clumsy boy that Harry met on the Hogwarts Express.

"Stop dwelling." Fred said. Harry hadn't even realized that he zoned out. "You know he tried his best" Fred continued, "He showed more bravery that day than I think he knew he had."

"But if he had just…"

"Just what? Remembered his wand? What if I had just stayed with George? Or what if you didn't kill Nagini? What then? There's no use living in the what if's, Harry."

His wand…

The fate of the entire wizarding world rested on the whereabouts of Neville Longbottom's wand. It was the only wand that stood a chance against Lord Voldemort and he lost it.

_After Voldemort issued the cease fire, Neville ran past Harry._

"_Kill the snake, Harry." Neville said as he continued into the forest._

_Whatever happened to Neville in the forest remains a mystery but soon enough Voldemort and his death eaters were at the gates of Hogwarts showing off the death of the boy-who-lived. Harry felt the weight of defeat but stepped forward to silence the laughs and jeers at his friend's expense._

"_Neville died trying to protect us. Let us not make his sacrifice be in vain. Good will always triumph over evil. His death is only the beginning…" _

_Suddenly the Sorting Hat was put upon Harry's head interrupting his speech._

"_Silly little Harry Potty. Let us hear you scream like your mommy and you poor, poor daddy." Bellatrix Lestrange sang as she whipped her wand in the air setting ablaze the Sorting Hat._

_Harry struggled but eventually got the hat off of his head. The laughter of the death eaters pierced his ears._

Fred put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Startled by the sudden touch, Harry sprang up and hastily drew out his wand. The laughter still rang in his ears.

"Woah, Harry! Sorry mate but it's time to put Lily and James to bed." Fred said, "What were you thinking about?"

Harry shook his head and stood up. He went into the bathroom and picked up Lily from the tub.

"Come on, mum. There you go." He reentered the room and looked at Fred, "I was thinking of that night."

"Which night?" Fred said while trying to change James' shirt, "the night we rescued your parents from St. Mungos?"

It was only a week after the battle when Fred, Harry, and Luna tried to rescue the Potters. Unfortunately, Bellatrix and Mulciber were waiting for them. Fred and Harry had managed to save his parents but at the cost of Luna- whose death distracted Bellatrix and Mulciber long enough for the other four to escape.

Harry solemnly shook his head, "How could things go so wrong? We were so close."

_Harry took the Sorting Hat and pulled the sword of Gryffindor from it. In one fell swoop he chopped off Nagini's head. Voldemort issued a cry of contempt and all of a sudden a blessing happened. Neville sprang up and ran over to Hogwarts where his friends awaited him. The Death Eaters fell silent before Voldemort gave the signal. When it came the world seemed to go in slow motion. Death Eaters and friends were fighting or lying in a pool of their own blood and soon enough there was Voldemort and Neville facing each other. Everything else ceased except for Fred who had taken the opportunity to light Rockwood's butt on fire._

"_Take that you smelly old Death Eater!" Fred yelled in excitement._

_Voldemort tried to ignore the crying Rockwood and looked pointedly at Bella. She was fully enjoying everything that was happening- the eventual victory by her lord and the misfortunes of Rockwood. She breathed it all in before extinguishing the fire._

"_Draw out your wand, boy." Voldemort hissed._

_Neville reached for his back pocket but grasped nothing. His eyes grew wide as he searched his whole body._

"_I haven't got all day!"_

"_Hold on, I can't find my wand." Neville said with a quiver in his voice._

"_You mean this wand?" Bellatrix chortled as she held up Neville's wand._

_Voldemort laughed as everyone around gasped. The remaining members of the Order went to stand in front of Neville but it was too late._

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

_Neville's body slumped to the floor as the Death Eaters unleashed their power on the remaining survivors._

Lily's body slumped onto the bed next to James. Harry looked at his parents.

"We can't take them with us."

Fred smiled and rushed over to the cabinet, "Luckily I bought two bottles of wine!" He took out the other bottle along with two glasses. Fred poured out the wine and said, "We'll find them, Harry. We'll find someone."

Harry looked at his companion and wished with all of his heart that Fred was right. Harry lifted up his glass, "To Neville"

Harry and Fred chinked their glasses together and sipped on the wine in silence. Harry Potter: The Boy-Who-Lived had a nice ring to it and since Neville was gone it was up to Harry to take on that role.

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END! Well thanks for reading! Please comment and constructive criticism is always welcomed. Oh and I am sorry for the Neville bashing. I love him and had a hard time saying anything bad about him.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything pertaining to Harry Potter is the sole possession of J.K. Rowling. I am only using her content as a means of creative expression. Thank you J.K. Rowling for allowing us to further perpetuate this world and keep it alive!


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